


How To Save Tony Stark

by ShannonRona



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: F/M, Pepperony - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-19
Updated: 2018-03-19
Packaged: 2019-04-04 16:52:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,268
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14024538
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShannonRona/pseuds/ShannonRona
Summary: A recap of events between the first Avengers and Spider-man, Homecoming.  Pepperony, as narrated from the point of view of Tony Stark.*TRIGGER WARNING* This will contain dark themes, self harm, minor mention of drugs and alcohol, and will be written realistically.  Occasional smut.  Rated M just in case.





	1. Intro

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own anything Iron Man, Avengers, or Marvel.
> 
> Warning: *TRIGGERS INCLUDED: mention of alcohol and drugs, addiction, minor sexual content, strong language, self harm*

A very deep, important song once said, 'can't you see, you belong to me'. Do I know the name of the song? That's not important. It was a guy, that's all I remember. He wasn't talking about ownership, or slavery, or anything like that...get your head outta the gutter. It was about love and commitment and...shit I know nothing about - knew nothing about. Actually, it's a pretty creepy display of that. Whatever.

You get my point. 

Before Afghanistan, before the arc reactor, before Iron Man...I was a different man. And despite   
only being labeled a superhero for six months, I felt...changed. Superhero status does that to people. Right? Big transformations and gaining a heart and all of that fun stuff...

Anyway, while I was away, I realized...I only have one thing keeping me in place. One thing   
that's stabilized my bullshit and put up with all the crap I've thrown at Stark Industries, at...her.

Pepper.

And I'm sure you know the story. Boss hired assistant. Assistant dated boss. And, well, then, girlfriend left boyfriend. Or fiance, I guess, for a while. But who could blame her, right? I'm a hot mess. And now, I'm more of a crumpled mess, sitting here making sure Friday gets this shit right, in case anyone ever cares to find out what happened to the great Tony Stark.

But it's okay. It'll all be okay, Pep. You saved me, in so many fucked up ways...in every way I could be. And I love you so damn much for that. That's something I never say enough, huh? But you deserve to hear it.

Now, honey, I know you'd be the first to listen to my rant, but you really, really need to let me talk here. If I still know you, and I think I do, I know you'll try to interrupt me and talk some sense into this thick skull. 

I'm not blaming you for anything, either. I guess I just...what I mean is...shit, how do I say this...you're probably ready to hurl something at my head about now, I bet. That's if you haven't already for realizing what happened to Rhodey. Or the kid. God, I fuck everything up, don't I? All the things I cared about...poof, gone. The house, Jarvis, Rhodey, Capsicle...you. That's the Stark effect, I suppose. I bet you I got that from my father.

But being Iron Man...it does things to you. Things I can't even begin to explain. You've seen it; the nightmares, the sleepless nights... I can't live with it, and I can't live without it. I am the suit. The suit and I are one. With or without the arc reactor. But honey, I can't live without you, either, and God knows I've tried.

I just need you to know, despite all the bullshit I put you through, it was always you, Pep. You were right about me. About all of it. And I'm sorry. And this...ridiculous monstrosity of an apology before I... Fuck. I'm just gonna recap it, because I need you to understand how I got here. And then...maybe you can forgive my selfish ass.


	2. Shawarma

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: contains smut at the end. Please skip once you hit the elevator if you don't want to read it. Strong language throughout.

So, uh, let's start with New York. The tesseract. The portal. The fucking alien invasion. God, if I redo the details I'll panic myself to death right here. I mean, you know what happened, right? I carried the nuke into the wormhole, and...

Yup, here it comes. Shit. I just uh, I just gotta...okay. I'm good. I think. Yeah. I'm fine... Moving on...

After they kissed me awake, I think, we got reindeer games packaged up all nice for eyepatch to babysit, and then...shawarma! Will they tell you they were hungry? No. But they were.

So there we sat, eating this heavenly convection in this run down, destroyed shawarma joint that somehow survived an alien invasion as if it were nothing, and she's there.

"Natasha...?" I hear her ask quietly.

Then, my eyes settles on her. She's in white. A skirt and heels. Not battle attire. I should make her a suit. Right? Right. Mental note for Jarvis for later.

"Tony..." she whispers, and I catch her blue eyes on mine - they're so heavy with relief it shuts down my mind.

"Pepper," I answer simply.

Fuck, I'm a mess. I probably have food all over my damn face and this napkin is so far past greasy and... Nevermind, I'm sure that's the least of her worries after thinking I died along with a nuclear bomb. So, I drop the napkin I'm fussing with back on the plate.

I don't know what to do in this kind of situation. Do I stand? Do I run? Do I just hug her or do I kiss her, too? 

Widow says her name quietly and stands to greet her at the door, but it doesn't seem like Pepper cares; her eyes are still on me. Honestly, it's freaking me out a little. Am I in trouble? Is it the good kind of trouble or the bad kind of trouble? I could go for the good kind right now. And now, Pepper lets her shoulders drop and I know it's the good kind.

So here's the situation: I can either, A, try to remain emotionless and not let Tony Stark look like a pansy, B, tell her what I wanted to tell on that call and forget they're here, or C, take her right here on this table like my mind is trying to convince me is appropriate. That oughta show Cap to stop fucking with me, figuratively, right?

Anyway, I don't think I have time to decide because now she is urgently racing around the table towards me, her fiery red hair that I love so much hanging loosely from her shoulders.

"Tony!" she breathes and it forces me out of my seat.

I'm immediately met with the weight of her body as she flings it at me, sending the chair further behind me from the impact against the back of my knees - and before you mention it, the whole 'tiny Tony' thing is gettin' old. I can make up for it elsewhere, if you're wondering.

And that's when her arms wrap around my neck and I cave. I almost said goodbye to this woman...without even a second thought. What the hell is wrong with me?

Before I know it, my hands are tangled in her hair, tugging, gripping, holding onto her and not letting her go. A kiss goes to the side of her head and I can feel her shudder against me. Her eyes are probably closed and she's trembling, but so am I. I didn't even think about...well, that's a lie. I did. I did that for her. For the future, even if I wasn't in it. But I'm gonna be damned if I let her go now - not when it took me so long to man up and realize it's always been her from the start.

Suddenly, I'm pushed back and she has both of her hands on my face. Then...yup, those are Pepper's lips. Andddd, that's her tongue. Shit. She doesn't even understand how much I want her right now, and this is not going to help. Okay, Stark, don't let them see you soften up, don't... 

She gasps when I reciprocate, and I'm clinging onto her for dear life as I kiss her back. I can't keep it out of my head anymore. The torpedo. The portal. The...darkness. Her face on the screen even after Jarvis backs out...

Then she's gone just as fast, and she's peppering kisses on me, frantic and needy. It's kinda hot, to be honest. But the stupid humming of this damn piece of metal in my chest is preventing it from being anything more. Oh, and the fact that the rest of the super boy band are still here.

"I thought you were dead!" she manages to get out, and the words hurt.

Her eyes on me as she holds my face and makes me look at her hurts even more. 

"How could you do that?! How could you just throw your life away like that?! Did you even think about the consequences?! About..."

Okay, so now she's mad.

"I'm so sorry, Tony. I didn't hear my phone, and..."

Er...just kidding? Jesus, women are confusing. Thus why I preferred to not do this relationship thing for so long...but, Pepper is different, and let's face it...no one else will accept me, especially after the arc. So, what do I do? I laugh. I'm confused as hell by the sudden mood swings, but her tears aren't hidden anymore and I can't take her crying. The shit this woman does to me, I swear...

"Pepper," I whisper without realizing, and now I'm holding her against me again.

"I promise I'll answer every single call from now on. I'll even have Jarvis program an auto pick up...just in case..." she tells me.

That's a stretch. She says that now, but wait until I take this challenge and she gets sick of it. 

"Hey. Pepper, relax. I'm here. I'm okay. I'm alive," I go with, realizing I'm too tired to joke - too tired to think, or care what thunder hands or Robin Hood over there think.

"You're..." I hear, before I flinch at her tone; yup, wrong choice of words. "Relax?"

"Banner had my back."

Should I look at him? Yeah, I'll look at him. Not in a creepy way, but in a 'can you say something so I stop digging myself into a bigger hole' kind of way. She looks, briefly, but now she's back to putting me under fire...didn't I just deal with that when I was being attacked by aliens?!

"We can talk about it later," I decide as my body starts to ache. "Trust me. I don't think I'm gonna want to move for days. We have all the time in the world."

"I-"

Damnit, Stark, you made her cry again.

Silently kicking myself, I do what I do best and shut her up with another kiss, but not the kind she's used to. Sure, most of our encounters have been stupid, drunken stumbles or sexually influenced need which left me clawing her clothes off - mostly on my part, I admit - but that's not the way I need her right now. This is something new. I don't even get it, but I'm not good with feelings and all this emotional shit... Ugh. Help. Jarvis? Jarvis, where are you when I need you, buddy?!

Anyway, so while I'm freaking myself out and all of this is processing, I forget I'm, oh wait, still kissing my girlfriend! And it's the most calm I think I've ever felt. She wraps her arms around my neck again, and then I let go and let her hug me again. I'm just thinking of taking her home and...no, not here. Stop thinking about that!

I resort to kissing her neck lightly a few times, and then I close my eyes. The adrenaline is slowly disappearing and the damage to my body and mind from the battle is replacing it with pain and weakness. Just like what was left with the suit when I dropped it off at the remains of the tower, I can feel myself slowly falling apart. And it isn't just the fatigue. It's the realization that we're safe...for now, but for who knows how long, really. The city is...sort of still standing. The team is here. Pepper is here. Everything is okay, I think. Health wise, it's okay, anyway. But it may not have been. I could've been stuck in that portal. Or in a destroyed mess in the concrete outside if Banner didn't catch me. And now I'm looking at her gorgeous blue eyes, watery still, and - shit, is the arc still working? What's that annoying tug down there? 

"I love you, Pep," I'm telling her absentmindedly, and as I wait for a response, it settles in that I finally said it and I inhale sharply, holding it.

She doesn't speak. Fuck. What now? Uh, do I apologize? Or just keep holding her against me like this? Or...or, can I figure out a way to go back and just die right there? I screwed this up. I can feel it. This is worse than before. This is...panic. Yup, the same word that I wanted to use when that blond was harassing me at the benefit for a statement. Panic. Until...

She's shaking. Pepper's...crying? Pepper doesn't cry. She's too strong for that, right? Wrong. She's clinging onto my tighter now, and it's killing me even more than the aliens ever could. She doesn't deserve this...I don't deserve her. No matter what I do, it'll never end well for her.

"Pepper?" I finally mange to ask, not wanting this to keep going on. "Honey?"

And then I hear it.

"I love you too..."

Her head lifts and it warms my heart, and suddenly the great Tony Stark is wiping away her tears - I'll never live this one down. I gotta change this before it goes too far.

"So. You'll answer every call?" I ask, thinking of the possibilities and the many, many times in just the last few days that she's told me to leave her out of my arguments with the star spangled super soldier. "Even the ones you usually ignore when I'm bored in a meeting? Or when Capsicle over here--"

Speaking of, Steve generously clears his throat right when things begin to get fun, reminding me again that they're still there.

"I don't care," Pepper giggles. "Every call, Stark. I'm never letting you out of my sight again."

Her laugh is toxic and I can't help the smirk that crawls onto my face and I can feel my entire body soften up. Oh how I want to tease Pepper...so badly. That's what I'm good at. But hearing her laugh again, I just want nothing more than to have her back in bed, under the sheets, and...well, honestly? Just keep her safely in my arms. Tame, right? Weird. Very weird. Doesn't matter; the wave of relief that's hitting me is too overpowering for anything else.

Pepper glances around the room and wipes away the last of her tears, apparently realizing how fragile she presented herself in front of everyone that probably only knew her as CEO. Little does she know I filled them in on most of it...it's hard not to want to show her off. She knows the group by face and names on paper, I think, but she hasn't met any of them outside of Widow. She blushes fiercely, and I can feel her discomfort, so I introduce her instead.

"So, uh..." I scratch my head and gesture to the group at the table - it's a nervous tick, I guess; believe it or not, I'm not good with social situations...unless they end in the bedroom. "You know Nat...and I'm sure you've heard of Cap over there."

Cap shakes her hand and suddenly I'm fuming, but I can't show it. So I give their hands a tight stare, waiting for it to end, and subconsciously dig my nails into her hip. Am I jealous? No. Yes. Maybe. Stop asking.

"Pleasure to meet you," he says.

She smiles kindly in return before I snap out of it.

"This...ungodly electrifying being here is Thor..."

Wow, that was terrible. Moving on...

"This is Bruce Banner...and that's..."

Fuck, who is bow and arrow again?

"Clint," he answers for me, and shoots fire my way.

I shrug with a sheepish grin; gotta give 'em hell somehow, right? He's the easiest too; it drives him nuts every time.

"Everyone, this is my girlfriend...Pepper Potts," I answer.

Yeah, that doesn't sound weird.

"The man of iron has successfully courted a woman?" Thor teases.

Why does he insist on calling me that?! Iron Man doesn't need nicknames!

"Tony, did you make these poor people cook for you?" Pepper asks softly after waving hello.

"Well, uh..." I sit back down. "They didn't exactly have any other customers, so..."

There's no chairs left that haven't been destroyed, so guess this is gonna get uncomfortable for me really fast. Good thing the Tower is just a block down.

"Sit."

She hesitates for a moment, but then realizes the same, I think, and she wraps an arm around my neck. And like that, things are perfect. She's picking at what's left of our food, and I can feel her heart beating as I lay my chin on her shoulder. Widow raises an eyebrow at me, challenging me from across the table, but fuck it, I don't care anymore. This...this is why I did it. This is why I saved the city. This is why I saved her.

And, I'm sure, as you can imagine, as soon as I plant another kiss on her neck, I'm lost. Her legs drape over my lap and her heels are very, very present. She licks her fingers instead of using the napkin I tossed there before, and my chest is suddenly tightening. She doesn't realize it when she does it, but damn can she be seductive. I shift uncomfortably, and she notices. Then, I watch as she smirks, hiding it from everyone but me, and I suck in another breath as the already tight jeans I put on this morning are suddenly tighter.

Cap mentions Loki - I guess they're dispersing tomorrow morning. I'm not really listening; I know Pepper will, so I'm glad she's back. Right now, I'm trying too hard to tame the fight between my desire for her and for my shower and the bed and some sleep.

"Tony?"

There it is; her soft voice, suddenly making me jump a little in my seat. How long had I zoned out? Her hand is on my cheek and I glance at her softly, smiling a genuinely sleepy smile.

"We should get you back home," she decides, standing and reminding me of the situation in my pants.

Uh, think, Tony, think. Banner, as the big green naked dude. Rhodey, the time I walked in on him in the shower. The first time I woke up in the cave with the car battery. Obie ripping my metal heart out. Um... my father. Yup, that was good enough. Anything about my father...just focus on that. But don't panic! Don't think about it too hard!

I breathe out and then I'm good enough to stand as she invites them over, adjusting slightly before I do so.

"There's spare rooms on the middle floors. You're all welcome...at least for tonight."

Generous Pepper. And cock blocking Cap. Of course.

"Tony, are you coming?"

Oh, we're going now? Okay. Cool. I got this. Just a short walk back over into the war zone. Sure, I've done this a thousand times.

"Um, Pep," I manage, remembering she hasn't seen it since the battle started. "The suite might be...a little trashed."

"I know," she answers. "We'll take the spares for now."

That stuns me. Pepper isn't normally that nonchalant. But of course, Pepper doesn't usually have to worry that aliens killed her lover, either.

Either way, she somehow manages to lead me back, and my hand is tightly holding onto hers as I try not to look at the remains of those...things in the streets. The memories are flooding back, like it never ended, even though it was at least over an hour ago.

Then, we're in the elevator, and we're silent as the team gets off on the floor Pepper instructs them to. She knows Nat has been there - she's had her over before. She leaves her to find them towels and linens, and then we're off, up another few floors to our spare room. Not as nice as the suite, but that doesn't bother me in the slightest right now.

As soon as the elevator doors close us from the super friends, I feel a weight lifted off of my shoulders, and I'm slumping against her. She's cradling my head, and I'm just breathing in her scent. My body feels weak, but the arc is still glowing, so that's a good sign. I close my eyes after inspecting it, feeling her comb through my dusty hair.

"I can't believe you," she finally speaks, but it isn't yelling...it is softly scolding, still heartfelt and relieved, and I can't blame her. "I thought I lost you Tony. I thought you killed yourself in front of the entire world. And for what? For pride? For-"

"For you," I answer, feeling the need to correct her as I lift my head from her hug and rest my eyes on her sad face. "For us. I love you, Virginia Potts. Probably too much, but I do. I love you."

And we sit there like that, staring at each other, before she suddenly throws herself at me for the second time that day. I grin against her kiss, knowing the name set her off; I haven't used her name like that since I nicknamed her after that hair and those freckles, and she likes it.

My energy is back, swift as could be, and so is the problem in my jeans. I grab her, hands in her hair, and push her back until her back hits the wall of the elevator. Usually, she doesn't like the roughness, since we haven't actually...taken it anywhere. Surprised? Yeah, me too, but it makes sense, I guess. But she wasn't about to be like one of the other girls I brought home, so we were...waiting. Were. Keyword.

Not anymore. Now, her hands are pulling my hair just as rough, and it's sending electricity through my battered body as I slide my tongue into her mouth and pull her hips against mine, shocking her, but not scaring her off. She pulls away to breathe, and I take advantage of that, kissing and biting at her neck. Eagerly, she shrugs out of her light jacket and leaves it lie on the floor as the doors ding open and I pull her, rather aggressively, out of the lift with me.

We hit the wall, and suddenly the tables have turned. I release my hands as I feel a little winded from the impact and find the wall behind me, and hers are already roaming down to the zipper on my jeans. Jesus Christ, Pepper - jumping straight to the goods? Fuck. Without realizing it, that thought comes out in the form of a groan and she's sucking on my ear as I help her tug my pants down and step out of them.

"Christ, Pepper," I breathe, not knowing what to do.

For once, I'm dumbfounded. Sure, we've done...stuff, but never this...disrespectful. Never this needy, or urgent. All the other women I've brought home are just one and done and it's the same thing after same thing, unless one of them happens to be one of the strippers I used to frequent from Vegas. Then, they had some experience with - 

Shit. Her hand grazes me through my boxers before heading under my shirt and that snaps me back to reality. This is Pepper. My Pepper. My assistant, my CEO, my girlfriend... Pepper Potts and I are going to have sex. Finally. And it's not weird. Should it be? I don't know. Do I keep this up, or go slow, or...

She grabs my hair again and pulls my head back so she can go at my neck and that answers that question. A growl escapes me from somewhere below my arc reactor, and then I'm grabbing her, my hands searching under her blouse for her breasts. She pulls back before I can find them, tearing it off at the same time I pull the zipper on her skirt, and shit, is she breathtaking.

"You're beautiful, Pepper."

I realize I said it. Whispered it, really. And that worries me for a second. Will she change her mind?

Nope.

Two petite hands are grabbing my dirty collar and dragging me through the doorway at the other end of the hall, her eyes locked on mine.

"I love you, Tony, but for once, can you just shut up," she demands, and damn, is it hot.

I shrug mentally, and then her mouth is on mine again and a moan escapes her small frame as I bite her lower lip. I smirk, thinking about everything that's about to come, but before I can think too hard, she's pulling me down on top of her on the spare room's mattress, and she's frantically trying to pull my shirt over my head. I know she's successful when the light from the arc lights up the room, making me second guess myself for a moment.

"Maybe we should keep the shirt on," I suggest, it killing my ego a little bit.

But she shakes her head. "I want you. All of you."

God, why is she so perfect and why didn't I realize that sooner?! All those wasted years...

"Tony!" she snaps, her nails suddenly digging into my ass, and it jerks me back.

"Sorry," I mutter, and then I'm back to her neck.

She giggles a little, from my goatee, I'm assuming, but her death grip on me doesn't loosen. My hands are roaming her from underneath, desperately searching for the release of her bra, and you should know where it goes from there... Breasts, stomach, legs... Her hands are wildly tugging at my boxers, but I stop her and pin them above her head.

Her eyes ignite, and it chills me for a second, but then I remember how much my name has been passed around and she probably expected as much. I grin as my kisses wind up going down her body, making her shiver as she tosses her head back. And then I'm there, right where she wants me. Waiting, blowing softly, teasing...

"Fuck, Tony," she curses and I blink the shock from my face.

"Whoa there, Pep," I tease, and I know it's driving her wild. "I didn't know you swore."

She doesn't miss a beat. "There's a lot of things you don't know yet, Mr Stark."

Yup. Something about that drives me over the edge and before she can react, I'm tearing her panties down and she's nervously watching for my next move. God, the things I want to do to her. The many, many things. But I can't even process them, because the ultimate need to take her and make her mine and show her I love her is more than any of the others, and I meet her eyes as I think it over and release her hands.

"Please..." she whimpers, and they immediately bolt for my remaining clothing, shoving them down over what she wants.

I groan, pulling her hips roughly up to meet mine, and then my mouth is back on hers, muting her as I pull her legs around my waist and push into her. She squeaks softly, biting my tongue by accident, and then the tension disappears and her hands find my shoulders, her nails pulling my closer.

I pause my kiss as I start moving, my mind frozen. This. Her. God. I'm fucking Pepper. Everything, all of it, brought us here, and now she's..I'm...we're...

"Fuck," I mutter, pulling myself from her lips as I grab onto her hip, granting me a deeper access to her body.

Her moans are enough to send me over right there, but I try to hold out. Try to wait. Try to live up to everything she's heard, but I don't think I can. The pressure builds up in my gut and I bury my face in her neck instead, sucking there to distract myself.

I feel her move her hands down, desperately clutching at my ass again, and it pushes me to the edge.

"Shit, Pep, I don't think-" I manage, and out of concern for her, my free hand finds its way between us and to her sweet spot, helping out a little bit.

Her hands are then on my face and she's forcing me to look at her as I get less rhythmic and start to slow myself down.

"I love you, Anthony Stark," she whispers to me, and I know she's struggling, too.

Her eyes close next, and she arches her back and all it takes it one, two, three more, and...

Then I'm catching my breathing, and she hers, and my glistening forehead is now on hers as we lay there in silence for a few minutes until I suck in a deep breath and separate myself from her, rolling onto my back. Sleep is calling, and hard, and the last thing I see is her hand run along the arc as she snuggles into my side.

"Love you..." I mumble, and then I'm out.

And that, I'm sure, has made you blush as red as your hair, Pep. But I promise that's not why I went that in detail. Maybe it's more for me, I don't know, but that, miss Potts, was the first time I told you I love you. The first time I told anyone I love them, and that was the first time we made love. And fuck, I'm just a ruined mess, aren't I? Who says these words? Not me. I don't even know what half of them mean. Kidding, I'm a genius, of course I get the idea. Just didn't think I'd ever use them, you know? Tony Stark, committed to someone special? Hell must have frozen over.

Okay, no, don't roll your eyes at me. The point is...that night, that's how I wanted everything to be. Minus the aliens and the destruction and the...okay, nevermind, bad analogy. You, me, silence...happy. Ugh. Just know that I've never felt any differently, even if I have fucked things up since then.

Despite what you think...I've never stopped loving you since, Pepper.


	3. A

Anyway, before I get off topic, let's talk next morning. The clean up. The mini vacation - at home. That counts, right? The first time I wasn't busy destroying shit with the Iron Man suit or making you reschedule half of my events for the week. Until the nightmares started catching up...

You'd think they'd develop over time, but nope, they started right away. You kept them to a minimum, though, and God, and I thankful for that. But when you left...

Uh, where were we? Right. In bed. Of course I didn't forget that.

It's late, I know that much. There's no east facing window from the spare room, so the sunlight isn't waking us like it usually does. Jarvis is still down, so there's no alarm to go off, either. Eventually, I startle myself awake; is this the first of the playbacks?

I feel my hands grasp something delicate accidentally a little too tight, so I finally open my eyes.

Pepper.

The night before comes flowing back, along with the greasy feel of my hair and the dirt that's covering the white sheets. She's not gonna love me for that, but a shower can fix everything. I stretch my shoulders, grimacing as the pain seeps in, then carefully remove my hand from hers; she's got it captive with my arm over her bare hip and her back against my chest, pushing into the arc reactor. At least it muffled the light without my shirt.

"Tony...?" I hear her mumble and I freeze.

Shit. I woke her. I mean, I have no idea where I was going anyway, maybe the shower, who knows, but I planned on her sleeping in a little more.

Pepper turns her sleepy eyes toward me as she rolls over and takes my hand in hers, lacing our fingers together. Honestly? I enjoy it. The world doesn't know that, but it's true. I'm a little...different with Pepper.

"You're still here..." she whispers, exhaling as I meet her with a smirk as the sheets drop below her waist, even though she doesn't mind.

"Here, but not completely put together," I admit, cracking my neck. "I've definitely been better. Last night probably didn't help, either. You kinda jumped me there, babe."

I can't hide my grin.

"You're alive," she answers, ignoring my comment as her hand grips onto my own a little harder. "That's what matters. God, Tony, I thought-"

"Ah ah ah!" I scold, groaning. "Pep, I don't wanna think about that right now, okay? Please?"

She frowns but doesn't press when she notices my breath catch, which I'm thankful for. Sorry, but aliens? Portals? That isn't normal shit. It hasn't really settled yet, and I'm not sure it will for a while...for anyone.

I loosen up a little after a few moments and prop myself up on my other arm, the one not in her clutch.

I let my eyes travel over her. "I could get used to this, you know. The whole no clothing thing."

She rolls her eyes, as I suspect. "We've slept naked before."

"Yeah, but we've never not slept naked before."

Her lips pull up in a smirk before she blushes. "I'm not...opposed."

"I hope not, because we kinda already crossed that bridge," I muse and detach my hand from hers to trace it down her side. "But I'd be up for taking a swim right now if-"

She bats it away. "Mr Stark, I think you've done enough swimming for one night."

That's her nice way of saying no. And to be honest? I don't really mind.

Sexy failed...so I try to be cute instead, returning my hand to her back and pulling her in so I can curl up and rest my head between her neck and her chest. She's smaller than I am, but she holds me anyway, even as awkward as it is.

"You need a shower," she finally mumbles, the late night still wearing her voice down.

"Funny, I was thinking the same thing," I speak into her skin. "We should conserve water."

If it's possible to hear someone roll their eyes, I did then. Then I reluctantly shift and push myself into a sitting position before climbing out of bed, clutching my side. Pepper shoots me a sympathetic look before dressing herself, and that's the last I see of her before I disappear under the running water.

When I make it back to the elevator and upstairs, my body doesn't feel any better. I'm already bruising...a few ribs look dark and there's a nice cut where the helmet attaches by the back of my neck. I'll have Jarvis do a scan later.

"Well if it isn't sleeping beauty," I hear Nat tease when I enter the kitchen in desperate search of caffeine.

I grab myself a cup, my eyes still heavy with sleep, then peek one her way. She's at the counter, sipping on some sort of coffee of her own.

"And dressed too," she comments. "I guess you won't be needing those, then."

On the counter, in neatly folded pile, are the remains of the clothes scattered around the hallway and elevator Pepper and I left from the night before. I would comment, but then Pep strolls in from the balcony, focused on her phone.

"The mayor's not happy at all..." she sighs, setting it down on the counter to straighten out my tie. "Really? Purple? Where did you even find this thing?" she mutters.

Natasha almost chokes on her sip in laughter, but I ignore it anyway.

"Look at the old married couple," I then hear Steve joke as he and Thor wander in, Bruce close behind.

I mean, I know I'm still the best looking here, but damn, these guys are just Gods. I have competition, which is obvious every time Pepper scans them. So I clear my throat to distract her.

"You two look happy," Banner comments, following my search for coffee.

"That's because they just got done frolicking," Nat quips up, eyes still on me.

I flinch, even more so when the thunder lord responds with "I'm not sure I know the meaning of such a word."

"She means-" Rogers starts, but Pepper cuts him off for me.

"I was just telling Mr Stark here how insane he is for carrying a bomb through New York City."

I press my lips together in thanks. "Yeah...yeah, just...in trouble again. You know..."

"There's a word specifically for that?" Thor questions, but thankfully Rogers wants to steer the conversation away as much as I do.

"Any word from Fury?" he asks.

"He wants us to take care of Loki," Nat informs us. "Without the government laying hands on him. Thor, you have some sort of magical prison back at home?"

"A very nice one, actually," he says with a wide grin. "It's a pleasant place, really."

I eye him with question, so he quickly changes the answer.

"I mean...lots of torture. Lots and lots of torture...and...bad stuff."

Rogers shakes his head and loops his fingers in his belt. Finally Pepper breaks the silence.

"I have to go to the office with Rhodey to do damage control...again," she sighs.

I can't help but frown. "I gotta do this, Pep..." I cave. "But, uh...date night...later?"

"Here?" she questions with a grimace.

"Yeah, we'll...talk clean up, and-"

"Folic?" she jokes, straightening out my jacket one last time. "It's a date, Mr Stark. But please...be careful."

I promised her I wouldn't get into any more trouble. No more aliens or bombs or crazy blue portals spiraling from my house for the time being. You'd think that'd be an easy thing to promise someone, ya know? No more obscure bullshit that you only see in movies? Yeah...it works for a little bit, I guess.

Rudolf the red nose wizard was dropped off by Fury at the park. I mean, not really out of the way. Shouldn't it be? I mean, an alien God is about to create a transit between two worlds...shouldn't that be kept under wraps? Whatever. I'm just here to get this over with. My mind's on Pepper. And the tower.

"Stark?"

It's gold ole' Steevie boy interrupting my planning again.

"Yeah?"

"What are you gonna do now?"

I glance around, noting Thor and the evil twin already flew back home. Damn, must have missed the neon lights there. Maybe next time.

"Uh...I dunno," I admit, hands stuffed in my pockets. "Head back to the tower. Clean up. Wait for the next alien invasion."

"Let's hope there won't be one," Rogers answers after a sigh.

"Well...you know where to find me if there is. What about you?"

He glances at me before mounting his bike. "Lay low, maybe hit the history books and catch up. Wait for Fury's next mission."

I can't help but crack a smile at this and nod, kicking my feet at the ground. From my pocket, I unlock my Audi, the familiar beep echoing behind me.

"Hey, Tony..." Bruce interrupts from our side. "Any chance you're going by 58th?"

I turn my body toward him and focus. "Uh, I'll put it on the route," I offer.

With that, we hop into the car, bidding goodbye to the rest, and I drop Banner off at whatever small apartment he was renting. When I fix up the tower, I'll have him come back. It'd be nice to have a science buddy to share the lab with. I'm sure Pepper would appreciate it, too.

When I do make it home, it's enough time to only slightly panic about the mess still outside. The streets closer and closer to the tower are still crowded with rubble and alien remains. The NYPD has decided to come around sometime overnight, so some of it's contained, but there won't be pedestrians here any time soon. I gotta get Rhodey to figure out some kind of cleanup after we get construction started here...

I manage to find some food still in the kitchen that I'm familiar with - none of Pepper's health shit - and decide to crack open a bottle of scotch. I down that, then note the champagne hiding in the cupboard. It is date night, so I toss it on some ice and let it chill.

I think I still know how to make mac n cheese...I think. Or spaghetti. Does Pepper even eat this stuff anymore? She's been on a low carb diet for the past few months... Takeout isn't really an option, unless we wanna hit up the shawarma place again.

I give up in a sigh, then summon Jarvis for help.

"Hey, Jar, any chance you have Pep's diet plan uploaded?"

"Apologies, sir, but I do not believe Miss Potts has stored that information on the public database."

I groan and pour another glass of scotch. So much for a romantic night. Guess we'll have to wait to decide what to eat when she gets back.

"When is she due back?"

"Estimated about 55 minutes."

Huh, guess she isn't putting in a full day. I don't blame her. But what to do with an hour...?

Eventually, I wind up at the hologram display, asking Jarvis to open up the blueprints and schematics for the tower, but current and past. Maybe we should start rebuilding.

"Save a new file, would ya?"

"Of course, sir. Shall I name it something particular?"

I glance at the model displaying the tower's current state and spin it around, noting the letter which have been knocked off. Only the 'A' remains. Huh. Symbolic, or some shit? Man, couldn't have asked for a better ending, because it gives me an idea.

"Yeah. Let's remodel this place for the Avengers. What do ya think?"

Jarvis pauses while he creates the file, then, "like a group home, sir?"

"Sorta," I confirm. "More like a hotel for them, if they wanna stay. Still operating under Stark Industries while my name's on the papers."

I pull up the files for the spare rooms, then decide to label each one, respectively. Then I reach the suite and hesitate, leaving my finger over the letters on the display.

The sound of the elevator doors dinging open cause my attention to break, and when I look that direction, Pepper's kicking off her heels and setting her things down on the kitchen counter.

"Oh, you're early!" I call, and she looks my way with tired eyes, but a warm smile. "Bad day at work?"

She rolls her eyes, but keeps her grin as I pad across the room in my black socks, stepping on a little bit of broken floor every so often as I round the giant hole in the floor where the Hulk slammed Loki down.

"Just...a lot of paperwork..." she sighs, grabbing for a glass of water from the filtered tap. "Everything under wraps with the other guys?"

"Uh, yeah, mostly. Thor took Loki back to Narnia, or wherever it's called. Banner's in the city up north. I guess Rogers is headed back to base with Nat. It's kinda scattered, really."

She turns on the faucet. "You think you'll see them again?"

"God, I hope not," I mumble, but that probably isn't the truth. "But you know if they need me..."

"I know," she sighs, hitting the water off. "Iron Man will be there."

I set my glass down and sneak behind her while she fills it, resting my hands on her shoulders and placing a kiss on the back of her neck. She lets her shoulders relax as I start to knead them...a first. I don't think I've ever really done anything like this for her.

"What are you doing?" she asks with a hint of amusement on her voice.

"Just, uh, celebrating my beautiful girlfriend. That's allowed, right?" I say, then drop my hands when she spins around and narrows her eyes at me, trying to figure out what I'm thinking.

"You're up to something..." she says. "Is this because I said-"

"Nope."

"Tony, you know how I feel about the suit. And I get it, but... God, Tony. Yesterday... When is it gonna be too far?"

I frown and kiss her neck a second time. "You're alive, Pep. We're alive. If I hadn't-"

"Okay," she decides, ending the discussion; we'll never meet eye to eye, and we both know it.

I shoot her a look as I step aside to pull two champagne glasses and pop the bottle. "No, not at all."

I pour her a glass and trade her for the water, setting it down on the counter, and grab my own. Then, I take her hand and lead her toward the work station where the holograms are still up.

"Come here, I wanna show you something," I say, tapping on the table to display the room labels, each with a different member of the team we fought with.

"What is this?" she asks, snaking an arm around my waist and leaning into me.

I can smell her perfume radiating from her skin and it makes me grin, but I focus on the table instead of her touch so I don't lose myself completely. My heart's actually racing a millions miles a minute, but I know this is the right move...I hope. Talk about spontaneous.

"Well, what if we had the team move in here? Like...temporarily. Sort of. Or...like a second home," I ramble, pulling up Cap's room template.

She stares at it, then me, smiling with her lips pressed together. "Is this what you've been doing all day?"

"Just the last half hour maybe. I mean, I had the plans, but..."

"You're something else, Mr Stark," she murmurs, kissing me gently on the lips.

I grin against her and eagerly accept it, but I still have more to say. More that she isn't anticipating. I set my glass down, then tap on another room and turn to focus on her and let my hands linger on her waist. She looks it over with question, taking the big bedroom in.

"Is this your room?" she asks, noting the suit helmet I used as a label.

I swallow nervously. "Yeah. Well, ours, actually..."

She brings her attention back to me, setting down her glass as her mouth parts slightly, trying to form words. She looks confused, but that's expected. I don't really do anything that makes sense anymore, anyway.

"I mean..." I go on, not sure what to do now. "If you...well, you already stay with me most of the week anyway, and..."

Next thing I know, Pepper's bringing her arms around my neck and her thumbs are rubbing circles on my neck, giving me chills. She's smiling again, like she did when she teased me before the press conference where I announced my second identity as Iron Man...that's a good sign.

"Tony, are you asking me to move in with you?"

Her voice is so soft and weightless and I can't help but sigh. God, Pep...you always have that effect on me.

Again, I swallow nervously and bite my lip, hoping my eyes will confirm her question as I search her blue ones for an answer. She looks down, then back at the table. For a moment, I think she's turning me down. Then, she drops a couple pieces of furniture to different sides of the room and looks back at me, smirking.

"Now it's our room," she tells me.

"So that's a yes?"

"Yes."

I scoop her up with a grin wider than I've ever had before, lifting her with my arms under her ass into the air. She giggles and locks hers back around my neck, leaning down to kiss me. And then I make the decision to have Jarvis shut down everything so I can take her back to the spare room and spend yet another night of 'frolicking', as Nat put it.

I'll spare ya the details on this one, Pep, since it was pretty simple, but that was the last time I knew there'd be a future for us. A continuation...not an ending. I played with your hair and you went on and on about the things Rhodey suggested for the office...things we should do the following few days to help the police and SHIELD get things taken care of. It was like you read my mind. I kinda just agreed to whatever, though, just listening to your voice until I passed out.

But, here we are. I guess...I guess that was also the last night I fell asleep peacefully. The next morning I woke up in a cold sweat. You remember. Then the nightmares took over. The reason for the suits. The reason I almost fucking lost you to Killian... Damnit, Pep... I just can't do this the right way, can I?

I shouldn't even focus on this too much, but I just...I miss you, Pep. And if there was one reason I had for living, it was you. It was to make sure you were happy. And I failed at that, obviously, or we wouldn't be here. I wouldn't be... Fuck.

Just...hang in there a little longer, because I've got plenty more to add. Promise me, Pep...promise me you'll hear me out? Someone has to.


End file.
